Posted on  21/08/2024 11:50:32

My rating: 5 bloody stars!

My first Grimdark! A bloody gritty story set in a violent world and centred around 5 anti-heroes.

Glokta - a tortured crippled war hero turned torturer for the King's inquisition
Glokta by MATArt on deviantART

Logen - a northern barbarian and infamous warrior, looking for a purpose and escape from a dark past
Logen Ninefingers @LogenTBN /Twitter

Bayaz - a mysterious powerful mage

Jezal - a vain and uptight nobleman and famous fencer (whom I really cannot stand)

and Ferro - a dark skinned warrior woman and former slave with a terrible desire for vengence.

The First Law fan art by Darey-Dawn

Logen and Glokta are my favourites. "The barbarian and the torturer!?" you will ask.
"What the heck is wrong with you!?"

Glokta's inner musings, loaded with dark humor, more often than not self-deprecating are impossible to resist. And Logen's the best, with his scars and conscience and his little sage advice: "You have to love the small things, when you've nothing else!"

As first in a series the book seems like a build up for the following two. It promises an epic and violent good versus evil fight combined with a quest and of course magic. I'm already looking forward to the sequel.

It's been a while since I finished reading it and I still find myself at times with a smile on the lips remembering a six and a half foot child with a face like a butcher's block, or wondering about the taste of a flower stem when you're really hungry.

This was an awesome read and great writing! It is Grimdark and bloody.... and I loved it!

Check out this book and more of Joe Abercrombie over at www.joeabercrombie.com